Delhiwale: Your summertime indulgence

A unique sherbet stall in Chandi Chowk

Why can’t he share his recipe with us?

The stall serves from 8 in the morning to 10 at night.

Aqeel Ahmad turns his head towards the blurry bazaar crowd, smiles like an enigmatic visionary and says nothing. A very special institution, he is the vendor of the most exclusive drink in the Walled City. To be sure, there is no dearth of drinks in the area’s summertime lanes.

But all these nooks and corners are mostly lined with shacks selling red sherbet. Particularly noteworthy is the melon-based ‘Mohabbat ki Sherbet’ that has gone viral in the area (already featured here!).

But there can never be enough of Aqeel Ahmad’s offering. His jaggery-based ‘gur sherbet’ is one of its only kind in the historic quarter.

Determined to preserve his monopoly, he will not share the recipe under any circumstance, “because I’m the only one making this sherbet,” he asserts, standing behind his modest establishment at the entrance of Pahari Imli.

It consists of a table on which lies a giant platter filled with the light golden brown drink, which is protected from dust and flies by a plastic cover.

The makeshift stall has been a landmark for more than 70 years, though in winters the vendor temporarily substitutes it with a booth for diapers, woollen pyjamas and “steamers” that he introduced with the arrival of the coronavirus.

The sherbet stand’s origins date back to 1947, when “my waalid saheb (father) Zaheer Ahmed had to give up his jewellery store in Chandni Chowk due to communal issues.” His father started selling the ‘gur sherbet’ right on this spot, close to their home.

Suddenly, two young boys arrive. Ahmad squeezes a lemon into a glass and pours the juice with a long ladle. One of the boys gulps down the drink in one go, while the other downs it slowly, savouring each sip.

The stall serves from 8 in the morning to 10 at night. The time has shifted for the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan — from 2pm till midnight.

PS: Sometimes, you will see the vendor’s son Nabeer at the stall. Equally tight-lipped about the recipe, he tells the potential copycats to “ask papa” if need be.